Telecines with simultaneous scanning of a plurality of frames

Abstract

A continuous-motion flying-spot telecine has twin objective lenses (13,14) which provide beams to scan two adjacent film frames simultaneously. Two sets of light detectors (16,17) are provided, one for each frame being scanned. The detector outputs are applied to a multiple frame store (23; FIG. 2). The scans can take place at half the normal speed, while a conventional rate signal is read out of the store. Problems caused at high frequencies as a result of afterglow on the CRT (10) can thereby be substantially reduced.

I claim: 
     
       1. Telecine apparatus comprising: means defining a film path;   moving means for moving a cinematographic film along said film path;   illuminating means for simultaneously illuminating said cinematographic film at at least two spaced locations in said film path;   detecting means comprising separate detectors for separately and simultaneously detecting light from said illuminating means that has passed through said cinematographic film at said spaced locations respectively and outputting detected video signals; and   scanning means for causing one of said illuminating means and said detecting means to effect a scan;   storage means coupled to each of said separate detectors for simultaneously storing said detected video signals; and   reading means for reading out from said storage means a single video output signal;   whereby said detected video signals are generated at a reduced scan rate relative to a scan rate of said single video output signal.   
     
     
       2. Telecine apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there are two said spaced locations. 
     
     
       3. Telecine apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said illuminating means comprises objective lenses to form optical beams to illuminate said spaced locations. 
     
     
       4. Telecine apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said illuminating means comprises a beam splitter to form optical beams to illuminate said spaced locations. 
     
     
       5. Telecine apparatus according to claim 1 wherein there are five said spaced locations defined in said film path and said scanning means is operable to effect a scan at two non-adjacent locations selected from among said five spaced locations. 
     
     
       6. Telecine apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said illuminating means comprises a flying-spot scanner. 
     
     
       7. Telecine apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising means for providing compensation for shrinkage of said cinematographic film. 
     
     
       8. A method of generating a video output signal from cinematographic film comprising the steps of: moving said cinematographic film along a film path;   simultaneously illuminating a plurality of portions of said cinematographic film with illuminating means;   simultaneously and separately detecting light from said illuminating means that has passed through said plurality of portions of said cinematographic film in detecting means comprising respective detectors to provide detected video signals;   effecting a simultaneous scan of said plurality of portions of said cinematographic film by causing one of said illuminating means and said detecting means to scan;   simultaneously storing said detected video signals in storage means; and   reading out of said storage means a single video output signal;   whereby said detected video signals are generated at a reduced scan rate relative to a scan rate of said single video output signal.   
     
     
       9. A method according to claim 8 in which said video output signal is an interlaced signal. 
     
     
       10. A method according to claim 8 in which said video output signal is a progressive signal. 
     
     
       11. A flying spot telecine apparatus, comprising: means defining a film path;   means for moving a cinematographic film along said film path;   illuminating means for simultaneously illuminating said cinematographic film at first and second film frames in said film path;   detecting means comprising first and second detectors for separately and simultaneously detecting light from said illuminating means that has passed through, respectively, said first and second film frames and outputting at a first scan rate video signals indicative of the detected light;   a flying spot scanner for causing the illuminating means to scan the first and second film frames simultaneously;   storage means coupled to each said first and second detectors for storing said output video signals; and   reading means for reading out from said storage means a single video output signal at a second scan rate greater than said first scan rate.   
     
     
       12. A flying spot telecine apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the illuminating means comprises first and second optical lenses arranged between said flying spot scanner and said film path to form first and second scanning beams to scan simultaneously said first and second film frames respectively. 
     
     
       13. A flying spot telecine apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the illuminating means comprises a beam splitter arranged between said flying spot scanner and said film path to form first and second scanning beams to scan simultaneously said first and second film frames respectively. 
     
     
       14. A flying spot telecine according to claim 11, wherein said first and second film frames are adjacent. 
     
     
       15. A flying spot telecine according to claim 11, wherein one of said first and second film frames is an even numbered frame and the other of said first and second film frames is an odd numbered frame. 
     
     
       16. Telecine apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means comprises a two-dimensional charge coupled device sensor. 
     
     
       17. Telecine apparatus comprising: means defining a film path;   moving means for moving a cinematographic film along said film path;   illuminating means for simultaneously illuminating said cinematographic at locations on at least two different film frames in said film path;   detecting means comprising at least two detectors for separately and simultaneously detecting light from said illuminating means passed by said cinematographic film at said locations on at least two different film frames respectively and outputting at a first frame rate video signals indicative of detected light;   scanning means for causing one of said illuminating means and said detecting means to effect a scan of said at least two different film frames;   storage means coupled to each of said at least two separate detectors for simultaneously storing said output video signals; and   reading means for reading out from said storage means at a second frame rate a single output video signal, said second frame rate being greater than said first frame rate.   
     
     
       18. Telecine apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the illuminating means comprises objective lenses to form optical beams to illuminate said locations on at least two different film frames. 
     
     
       19. Telecine apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the illuminating means comprises a beam splitter to form optical beams to illuminate said locations on at least two different film frames. 
     
     
       20. A telecine apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said at least two different film frames comprise an even numbered frame and an odd numbered frame. 
     
     
       21. A telecine apparatus according to claim 1, wherein there are five said spaced locations defined in said film path and said scanning means is operable to effect a scan at two or more of said five spaced locations.